The state legislature is just trying to do everything they can so they can vote it down or make the Vikings pay for it in one way or another, at first the committee changes it so the user taxes are gone and public taxes are in their place, now they're gonna try and raise the amount the Vikings essentially pay, which was already more than they agreed with.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by A Perfect Score

If a girl is sucking me off, and I look down and shes beating off a **** of her own, I am absolutely going to tell her to stop. 100% of the time. Explain that ****.

lol @ people that say we shouldn't build a Vikings stadium. Every city that has lost an NFL team has immediately regretted the lost revenue and spent MORE money bringing a franchise back than retaining the one that left. Yes, a stadium will be expensive, and yes, we will have to help pay for it. But a stadium will create revenue/jobs that will last longer and make more money than the one time payment you'll make.

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"Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember, a shiny new donkey for whomever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya."

Obviously Wilf, the NFL, and the Vikings want a new stadium of their own, but what about the possibility of sharing TCF bank stadium with the Gophers? Before everyone starts rattling of a reply just hear me out first.

Yes I understand the stadium is not NFL sized. TCF would have to be expanded, but the university did design the stadium for a possible expansion up to 80,000 seats in the future. I also know there would be other issues to resolve like extra parking needs and allowing the sale of alcohol at the stadium to name a couple, but it might be a less expensive option.

Having watched a bunch of Gopher games this season I like TCF and its design, and I like the thought of the Vikings getting back to playing outdoor football. I know this option will never happen due to every team wanting their own diggs, but what do you all think?

Obviously Wilf, the NFL, and the Vikings want a new stadium of their own, but what about the possibility of sharing TCF bank stadium with the Gophers? Before everyone starts rattling of a reply just hear me out first.

Yes I understand the stadium is not NFL sized. TCF would have to be expanded, but the university did design the stadium for a possible expansion up to 80,000 seats in the future. I also know there would be other issues to resolve like extra parking needs and allowing the sale of alcohol at the stadium to name a couple, but it might be a less expensive option.

Having watched a bunch of Gopher games this season I like TCF and its design, and I like the thought of the Vikings getting back to playing outdoor football. I know this option will never happen due to every team wanting their own diggs, but what do you all think?

Yeah I know, I wish it were this easy. My only hope is that the Metrodump roof collapse brings the stadium discussion back to life in the legislature. Dayton as governor actually wants to see the Vikings get a stadium and stay in Minnesota, not like that dick T-Paw. Plus, there are several other members of the house who want to push a new stadium funding bill through once the new year starts.

The Wilfs are just going to have to be realistic and pony-up more dough than they are currently offering. It is not realistic for the state to have to pay 2/3 of the cost of the stadium in this economy. I know the NFL is also playing with the idea of offering money to the teams looking to build or renovate their stadiums.

lol @ people that say we shouldn't build a Vikings stadium. Every city that has lost an NFL team has immediately regretted the lost revenue and spent MORE money bringing a franchise back than retaining the one that left. Yes, a stadium will be expensive, and yes, we will have to help pay for it. But a stadium will create revenue/jobs that will last longer and make more money than the one time payment you'll make.

That's true.

I hear Ziggy was up there with a giant scissors on the roof after the snow hit.

Top officials in Minneapolis and Hennepin County expressed skepticism Friday about the details of a long-awaited stadium bill emerging at the Legislature.

Viewed as two important potential local partners on a new Vikings stadium, officials in both the city and county said the bill wasn't structured in a way that would allow them to participate.

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin called the bill "badly timed, badly designed and I hope it comes to a bad end. I wouldn't even start talking to the Vikings until they bring half a billion dollars to the table."

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said the draft bill was "a positive development" because it lists several statewide funding sources.

But, he cautioned, "it is unlikely that Minneapolis could lead a bid, especially when we're facing massive state cuts [in local government aid]. There will be some ways we can be a partner, and we've already been a massive investor in infrastructure that makes the [Metrodome] site cheaper to build."

Minneapolis is home to the aging Dome, where the Vikings' contract is running out.

Even Ramsey County, which has launched an aggressive bid to host a new stadium, balked at some elements of the bill.

Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett, who's leading the charge to build the stadium on a former munitions site in Arden Hills, said the $250 million to $300 million listed as the state's share was feasible for the county, too.

But, he said, Ramsey County has no interest in a bidding war against Minneapolis or Hennepin County. If it comes to that, he said, "the heck with it. We know what we can provide -- a 260-acre site with tailgating and all the amenities that go with [NFL] football."

The draft bill, details of which leaked out Thursday night, leaves the site for a stadium open to bid solicitations. It lists various funding sources for the state's share, including a sports memorabilia tax, sale of stadium naming rights, a surcharge on the income of pro-football players and a sales tax on luxury boxes.

Local governments are invited to propose stadium sites along with plans on how to cover their share of the costs. The bill would allow them to levy a half-cent sales tax on entertainment, lodging, food, beverages and tickets.

Jurisdictions that don't land the stadium could levy taxes to support their own facilities "of regional or state significance," as long as 40 percent goes to the Vikings stadium.

The Vikings would be required to pay a dollar for every $2 of public money spent on the stadium, and would have to cover cost overruns.

The stadium bill, sponsored by Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, and Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, is expected to be introduced next week. Both have been under pressure to delay the bill until the state's projected $5 billion deficit is addressed.

Rosen said Friday the time had come.

"The reality is that people need to know that this can't wait until next year," she said. "Everyone knows this is a job creator. The time to discuss the stadium is now that we're close to finishing the budget."

Lester Bagley, the Vikings' stadium czar, said he took issue with provisions that gave naming rights to the state and created a player-income surcharge and a luxury-box tax. The team would be open to paying cost overruns, he said, as long as the bill is properly balanced.

Vikings say there's still time

"It's not the final bill, and there are some issues that would impact the team's competitiveness that we think need to find a better solution, but there's time to do that," Bagley said.

Ted Mondale, chair of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said the recent trend is for government to take more of the naming rights revenues. He called the structure of the bill sound.

"There are some things the Vikings won't like," he said, "but I think if they were too happy we wouldn't be doing our job."

Elements of the bill worry other stadium supporters.

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President David Olson said he'd be more comfortable with a revenue stream similar to that of Target Field, for which Hennepin County raised its sales tax to provide the local share.

But Hennepin County commissioners were unmoved by a provision that would allow the county to apply excess revenues from the Target Field tax to a new stadium. Much of that money now goes to youth sports facilities and libraries.

County Board Chair Mike Opat, who spearheaded the drive for a new Twins baseball stadium six years ago, pronounced himself indifferent to this latest effort.

"I don't know if their funding sources are real, and any notion that the state would select the site is not practical," he said.

Like Bennett, Opat said Hennepin County won't compete for a site. "If we get into this, it will be with a plan and to seek approval for a plan, or we're not going to get into it at all," he said.

Minneapolis officials said they opposed another provision, to use excess convention center revenues. "That would be a nonstarter," City Council President Barb Johnson said.

At the Capitol Friday, the stadium bill landed with a thud. In a rare display of bipartisan unity, both sides said that any talk of public subsidies for a new stadium would have to take a back seat to solving the state's budget woes.

"Until they have a site, until they have a plan, until they have a partner, it's awfully hard for us and the Vikings to get to that point," said House Speaker Kurt Zellers, a Republican.

His DFL counterpart, Minority Leader Paul Thissen, said that "if we're not willing to raise taxes for our schools and police and firefighters, it's very hard to see rasing taxes to build a Vikings stadium," he said.

Gov. Mark Dayton called the bill "a good start," and said it included elements he considered essential, such as no reliance on the state's general fund.

"It's up to the Legislature to move this forward," he said, "but I am ready to work with them to create a 'people's stadium.'"

State Legislature is moving towards some sort of plan.... we'll have to wait & see how well it will be received with a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

Vikings stadium bill will be submitted today
Posted by Mike Florio on April 8, 2011, 9:41 AM EDT
Getty ImagesThe folks in Minnesota are trying to build a new stadium for the Vikings before the Vikings join in California the NBA team that once played in the Twin Cities.

Dave Orrick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that a plan for partially financing a stadium with taxpayer money will be submitted to the Legislature on Friday.

The plan would raise up to $300 million via a sales tax on memorabilia and luxury seats, a lottery game, and even an income tax on the team’s players. The plan also would permit the local government hosting the stadium to raise money via a sales tax — without the measure being submitted to the public for a vote.

The bill doesn’t specify a site for the stadium, but it specifies a process that could result in a site being picked in early 2012.

Potential locations include an area in Minneapolis near Target Field, where the Twins now play, the site of the current Metrodome, which would displace the Vikings for one or more seasons, and a location in nearby Ramsey County, site of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunitions Plant.

And if the folks in Minnesota can’t make it work in any of those locations, the fourth option goes by the initials “L” and “A”.

Join us at noon ET on PFT Live for a discussion of the situation with Vikings V.P. of public affairs and stadium development Lester Bagley.

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Originally Posted by MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)

Thanks jerks, I have an exam tomorrow and reading this lowered my IQ by 14 points. Dicks.

From everything I have seen it seems that Ramsey County is the most logical place as of right. They want the stadium, they have space for a stadium + tailgating, and they are willing have a county wide sales tax to help pay for it.

I will have no sympathy for Zygi if he can't get a deal done here because he is picky about where he wants the stadium to be.

How the hell can you ask for several hundred million dollars for stadium that has no blue print or site picked out?

Thats a good question. But something, needs to get done...

Quote:

Vikings V.P. of public affairs and stadium development Lester Bagley (pictured) joined PFT Live on Friday to discuss the status of efforts to get a new venue built in the Twin Cities.

Regardless of what happens, it’s clear that the Vikings aren’t interested in staying in the Metrodome.

“It’s not a threat, it’s just kind of the reality,” Bagley said. “The Metrodome no longer works.”

To prove his point, Bagley disclosed a fact that had not previously been reported. Due to the status of the Metrodome, which experienced a roof collapse during the 2010 season, the Vikings had trouble getting another team to agree to play an exhibition game there.

“We couldn’t even get a preseason game scheduled this year,” Bagley said. “We could not get a partner and the league had to step in and help us get a preseason game scheduled because of that facility. . . . [T]he facility is no longer viable and we’ve got to resolve the issue.”

It appears that the issue will be resolved during the current legislative session, one way or the other. With the Vikings due to become free agents after the 2011 season, failure to make significant progress could result in a relocation of the team.

So be advised, Vikings fans. If you want the team to stay in Minnesota, it’s now or quite possibly never.

It's sad that they couldn't find a team willing to play a pre-season game there.

Hopefully that forces them to do something. I've been sick of the state always spewing the ******** that the Metrodome is a sufficient venue for a professional football team and that we just need to do a little refurbishing and it will be fine, when it straight up is not sufficient and this lays that fact out as simple and powerfully as it can get really.

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sig by BK and avy by me

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Perfect Score

If a girl is sucking me off, and I look down and shes beating off a **** of her own, I am absolutely going to tell her to stop. 100% of the time. Explain that ****.

The Arden Hills (Ramsey County) site makes the most sense to me, long term especially. Renovating the current Metrodome makes me think that the foundation has a limited life-span left, and could cause more problems in the future. Plus I hate parking in the parking ramps.....I would go to as many games as possible just for the tailgating up at the Arden Hills site. Get 'R Done!

It looks like a ******* log cabin, who deigned that hideous piece of ****? Not to mention they want to basically keep half of the dome and just make it look different while making the Vikings play at TCF for 2-3 years and it costs about the same as the Arden Hills one. That is a horrible proposal.

It looks like a ******* log cabin, who deigned that hideous piece of ****? Not to mention they want to basically keep half of the dome and just make it look different while making the Vikings play at TCF for 2-3 years and it costs about the same as the Arden Hills one. That is a horrible proposal.

I still want to see the NFL pony up some money for these new stadiums. This league makes money hand over fist and will make even more money with most/all of their teams in new shiny stadiums.

I agree. Also, I'm not sure it's fair to make every taxpayer pay for a football stadium, since not every taxpayer is a football fan.

There's lots of things that we get taxed for that I'm not a fan of.

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"Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember, a shiny new donkey for whomever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya."